Final Report for the ERTDI-funded project: 2006-SDM-LS-11-M2

Environmental science plays a crucial role in identifying the pressure points and threats to the environment from human activity. However, it is important also to understand the link between these environmental pressures and human activity. This allows policy makers to predict where problems are likely to occur in the future and to prioritise their responses. It further helps in understanding how policy measures can be best formulated so as to achieve the desired environmental effects at minimum economic cost.

The key objective of developing ISus, Ireland’s Sustainable Development Model, was to relate environmental pressures to relevant economic developments. When looking at the past, this helps diagnose why environmental problems have arisen. When looking forward, this helps focus the attention of environmental policy makers on likely future pressure points. In turn, this can help policy makers to better target their instruments and to assess the needs for additional measures.